Americans Like Government Workers, Agencies More than Congress

iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — If there was anything good to come out of the recent partial government shutdown, it’s that Americans seem to have more sympathy for federal workers, especially if they were furloughed during the 16-day impasse.

A Pew research poll found that two-third of respondents have a favorable view of government employees, compared to a third that don’t.

As for the agencies that people see in a positive light, 75 percent picked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 percent chose NASA and 72 percent said the Pentagon.

On the flip side, only 44 approved of the job done by the IRS with 51 percent disapproving.

However, that’s still better than the marks Americans give Congress. Even after reopening the government, lawmakers only got a 23 percent approval rating from Pew respondents with 73 percent turning their thumbs down on Congress.